The kitchen was a major pain point, too narrow for an island but too wide for an efficient work triangle. It also lacked adequate storage, requiring the homeowners to store less frequently used tableware and countertop appliances elsewhere. Another frustration was the tight dining room, which was too small to accommodate holiday gatherings.
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Like many homeowners we work with, the owners of this Lexington center home loved their home’s character and charm but were eager to improve its functionality, comfort, and efficiency. The original early 1900s structure was small, but two subsequent additions had roughly doubled the square footage. Despite this, the layout of the core first-floor spaces wasn’t serving them well.
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After
Before
After
By removing cased openings on two sides of the kitchen, we made space for a generous center island and a functional work triangle. We also gave the dining room table room to extend. The rooms feel more spacious and cohesive without the cased openings.
The rooms feel more spacious and cohesive...
The entry, which was cramped and lacked sufficient storage, was equally frustrating. We transformed the space by expanding into the adjacent, underutilized playroom. The enlarged and renovated entry now has ample circulation and storage, as well as discrete access to the first-floor powder room.
Improved functionality was not the only top priority for these homeowners. Performance was equally important; their goal from the beginning was to go fossil-fuel free.
We insulated everywhere we had reasonable access and, in some cases, created access to address major deficiencies. The roof of the first addition is a case in point. Unlike the roof of the original house and the most recent addition, which had been insulated with spray foam, the roof of the first addition was poorly vented and insulated with fiberglass batts. Even though this area of the house was outside the remodeling zone, we removed the ceiling finishes to insulate properly and create a uniform roof insulation system across the different eras of construction.
Following insulation and blower-door guided air sealing, we brought in Aerobarrier to make the house as tight as possible. The results were beyond our wildest dreams: a house that started out extremely leaky at 13 ACH50 finished at 2 ACH50, which is better than code for new construction.
For heating and cooling, we installed air-to-air ducted heat pumps as well as an air-to-water heat pump for radiant zones. The air-to-water heat pump also provides domestic hot water. Ventilation is ducted into the supply side of the heat pumps with controls to deliver fresh air regardless of whether the heat pumps are cooling or heating.
The home is as charming as ever and vastly more livable, comfortable, and efficient. It’s an outcome that honors the home’s historic character, meets the needs of the current moment, and looks ahead to a carbon-neutral future.